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The European Commission plans major changes to the structure of the seven-year European budget (2028-2034), which amounts to €1.2 trillion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed merging 530 programmes into one national pool of money for each country, and in her nomination letter she has tasked Budget Commissioner-designate Piotr Serafin with developing a plan for each EU member state that would link key reforms to investments (the 530 programmes would thus become 27 national plans/funds). Each national plan should include both agricultural subsidies and cohesion policy allocations, with the biggest change from the current rules being that countries will only receive money if they implement the reforms favoured by the European Commission. This is the way the European Commission, led by President von der Leyen, plans to push countries to carry out key economic reforms. This would make the conditions needed for member states to receive EU budget funds much stricter. A single national pool of money, specific to each EU country, should determine spending in different sectors. Member States should make it compulsory to address the gender gap, promote organic farming or address social housing issues. The European Commission is resorting to change in view of the pressure it is under - the European economy is weakening, there has been war on Europe's borders for several years, the potential entry of Ukraine into the EU (and the subsequent gradual repayment of over €300 billion in debt) is beginning to be addressed, and the European Commission is being pushed to divert investment away from unproductive subsidies that are automatically given to traditional sectors, including agriculture. The Commission's new focus should be more on defence and building a pan-European industry. By radically changing the rules, the European Commission also plans to address the strategic dependence on third countries and to spport the revival of European industry called for in Mario Draghi's report. Negotiations on the 2028-2034 budget are expected to start next year, with EU member states having to unanimously approve the budget by the end of 2027. Given the significant changes the European Commission will propose, negotiations are expected to be more complex and tough than in the past.
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published new guidelines for the application for novel food authorisations, which will enter into force in February 2025. The document contains scientific guidance that clarifies the scientific data required and administrative guidance that clarifies the application process. These changes reflect the new EU legal framework for novel foods and recent developments in food research. The aim is to facilitate the application process by clarifying definitions and data requirements to speed up risk assessment.
More information is available here.

On 23/09/2024, during the Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels, Agriculture Ministers supported the postponement of the new electronic registration system for plant protection products - this is the forthcoming obligation set out in Commission Implementing Regulation 2023/564 to register the use of plant protection products electronically. The new system, according to them, represents an excessive administrative burden for farmers. The information is collected for statistical analysis and the Regulation is not intended to significantly improve the control of the use of plant protection products. The ministers also pointed out that farmers have to be informed and trained on how to register the use of plant protection products under the new rules, which takes longer than the stipulated two years, and warned of the risk that the data collected by the electronic system would be incomplete, uncertain and therefore unusable for statistical purposes. Only the Danish delegation opposed the postponement, arguing that the system was necessary and that the rules gave member states sufficient time to prepare. In response, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski said that since 2010 professional users had been obliged to record the use of these products, but that this requirement was not systematically complied with in all Member States. According to the Commissioner, a delay would jeopardise the ability of Member States to meet their obligations under the new 2022 regulation.

On 19/09/2024, the European Commission adopted new measures under chemicals legislation to restrict the use of per-fluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and PFHxA-related substances, subgroups of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS. According to the European Commission, PFAS substances are highly persistent and water mobile and their use in certain products poses unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. The latest restriction applies to uses where the risk is not sufficiently controlled, alternatives are available and the socio-economic costs will be limited compared to the benefits to human health and the environment. The restriction will prohibit the sale and use of PFHxA in consumer textiles (raincoats), food packaging (e.g. pizza boxes), consumer mixtures (waterproof sprays), cosmetics and some applications of firefighting foam. The PFHxA restrictions will formally enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal. It will be implemented after transitional periods of 18 months to 5 years depending on the use.
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On 17/09/2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Commissioners-designate and their portfolios. The candidates have already received their letters of nomination, in which the Commission President outlines their main tasks for the next five years. Although the Commission stated that the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue, which were presented on 04/09/2024, would be discussed and used in the elaboration of the Vision for the future of food and agriculture in the EU (to be presented within 100 days of the new Commission taking office, i.e. by the end of March 2025), some of the recommendations of the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue already appeared in the nomination letters to the Commissioners. The individual candidates will now have to go through hearings in the European Parliament, the so-called "grilling", where MEPs ask the candidates questions about their proposed portfolios and vote on the basis of the candidates' answers to confirm/reject the proposed candidate, is expected to take place either in the second half of October (the week after 14/10/2024) or in early November (the week after 04/11/2024).
More information is available here.